Class 4A South Regional Preview Part 2
Lastly, we take a look at the final Class 4A Regional, also in the South. This Regional is comprised of teams from Sectionals #13 through #16. This is our final Regional preview article. With regards to Class 4A, there are…
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Continue ReadingLastly, we take a look at the final Class 4A Regional, also in the South. This Regional is comprised of teams from Sectionals #13 through #16. This is our final Regional preview article. With regards to Class 4A, there are around 40 schools in our Top-50 statewide countdown, regardless of class, so please keep that in mind if a couple of these Sectional previews might look a little thin. Below is a look at the teams in each of those Sectionals, along with some general comments and analysis. We will continue previewing the upcoming season throughout the rest of October, with our final preview articles posting on Halloween.
(SAG = Final 2017-2018 Sagarin Rating in Class 1A/Multiclass; SOS = Final 2017-2018 Strength of Schedule)
Sectional #13
Center Grove (21-7) SAG 9/10; SOS 6
Martinsville (17-9) SAG 20/21; SOS 26
Whiteland Community (19-5) SAG 29/32; SOS 38
Franklin Central (7-17) SAG 53/90; SOS 15
Franklin Community (8-15) SAG 59/105; SOS 33
Greenwood Community (11-13) SAG 68/124; SOS 36
Sectional #13 is as competitive as they get, as all of these teams are in the same “back yard”, and except for Franklin Central, I believe they all play each other during the regular season as well. Center Grove, Martinsville, and Whiteland are all featured in our statewide Top-50, regardless of class. Whiteland has already been previewed, while Center Grove and Martinsville will be previewed soon. Back to Franklin Central, it’s hard to say which direction they will go this season. They graduated four of their nine main players, including a pair of starters. They lost another starter to transfer. But they hope to get a full season from leading scorer and big-time 2020 talent Rachel Loobie (15.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.0 bpg in 5 games). 2020 wing Katy Larson (7.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.0 apg) also returns, and she’s a nicely skilled wing prospect. But they lost wing Andrea Adams (10.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.5 apg), 6-1 post Madison Potts (10.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.3 bpg), guard Alexus Mobley (6.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.7 spg), forward Sammi Wessel (6.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg), and front-liner Sarah Reidenbach (2.3 rpg). Mobley is a 2020 athlete who transferred to Warren Central. The combination of 2019 wing Erica Crawford (2.1 ppg), 2019 front-liner Amelia Magyar, and 2021 forward Madison Weaver will need to step up big-time this season.
Franklin Community looks to improve a lot this season, and they’ll do so behind an experienced roster. The biggest graduation loss was 6-0 forward Maya Elliott, but everyone else is back. 2020 forward Hailee Robbins (13.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.8 spg) put together a solid Sophomore season, and she had a great Spring and Summer, so I anticipate her being a focal point going forward. 2021 guard Kyra Baker (6.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.4 apg) was steady for a Freshman, but she was injured in the Spring, so her availability could be limited early this season. 2020 power forward Abby DeArmitt and 2020 guard Peyton Wilson have quality experience as well. Look for 2021 forward Lauren Sandrock and 2022 wing Kuryn Brunson to find a niche early this season. Both of them had great Summers and are talented prospects. Greenwood Community graduated three Seniors, but only forward Leah Moore (14.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg) was a starter last season. Maggie Smith (3.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg) and Rachel Derf were the other two graduates. Greenwood has a trio of perimeter players that cause excitement and should help them get above .500 this season. 2019 wing Alex Kincaid (9.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.4 apg, 2.8 spg) is a versatile wing who can score it at all levels. 2019 guard Bailee Taft (9.1 ppg, 2.0 apg, 37 made 3s) isn’t very big, but she’s a playmaker who can create for others or hit shots herself. 2021 guard Brooklyn Stubblefield (8.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg) put together a solid Freshman season, and she should be even better this time around. 2020 wing Ashley Buster (4.0 ppg) also returns with good experience, but the Woodmen will need some youngsters to step into key roles this season as well.
Sectional #14
Columbus North (17-7) SAG 27/29; SOS 30
Columbus East (17-10) SAG 30/34; SOS 35
Bloomington South (12-11) SAG 43/62; SOS 25
East Central (16-10) SAG 46/66; SOS 54
Bloomington North (4-19) SAG 87/222; SOS 70
Shelbyville (1-22) SAG 94/295; SOS 93
Sectional #14 is home to some really nice basketball teams, and Columbus North & East Central are a part of our Top-50 teams statewide, regardless of class. East Central has already been previewed, and Columbus North will be touched on this coming week. Columbus East had a really nice season a year ago, but they graduated a great deal of production. Gone are Varsity mainstays Britney Ballard, Addy Galarno, and Kristen Lyons. 2020 guard Whitley Rankin and 2019 forward Claire Cunningham return with starting experience, but they’ll need to step it up production-wise this season. 2019 forward Sarah Park and 2020 forward Kaitlyn Dougherty also have Varsity experience. 2022 wing Koryn Greiwe is a tough-nosed youngster who could get early-season opportunity.
Addy Blackwell of Bloomington SouthBloomington South has to deal with the loss of graduated point guard Lauren Leal, but virtually everyone else is back, so the Panthers are looking to be much-improved this season. 2019 point guard Addy Blackwell (17.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 3.5 spg) is a dynamic little guard who is extremely tough and feisty. She can score it or distribute, plus she’s a pest defensively. She was an Indiana Junior All-Star in June. 2020 guard Kristen Ridner had a solid grassroots season and should step up her production this Winter. 2020 guard Clara Voskuil brings additional Varsity experience to the backcourt. 2020 forwards Anneke Furr and Lauren Conner, plus 2021 power forward Casey Thomas and 2021 post Anya Friend should help form a strong and athletic frontcourt. Unfortunately for the Panthers, 2020 front-liner Olivia Blacketter was lost to an injury during volleyball season. Not only did Bloomington North only win four games last year, but they must now replace leading scorer Hannah Allen (13.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.5 spg) and Jenny Driscoll (6.3 ppg, 6.1 rpg), another starter and key contributor. They now turn to a pair of youngsters and a veteran to lead them. 2020 guard Ainsley Urbanski (10.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.0 spg) and 2020 wing Erin Lillis (5.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.2 apg) are nice places to start for the next couple of seasons. 2019 guard Katie Carver (4.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg) is back with experience, plus the Cougars welcome back 2019 forward Abigail Cannon (8.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg in 2016-2017), who missed last season with an injury. Shelbyville should be improved this season, as they welcome back everyone. 2019 forward Olivia Knarr (8.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg) is their top player and prospect.
Sectional #15
Jeffersonville (20-6) SAG 4/5; SOS 29
Bedford North Lawrence (23-5) SAG 10/11; SOS 14
North Harrison (21-3) SAG 13/14; SOS 42
New Albany (12-12) SAG 41/59; SOS 27
Seymour (11-12) SAG 49/73; SOS 21
Jennings County (8-15) SAG 65/114; SOS 37
Floyd Central (8-16) SAG 82/191; SOS 32
Sectional #15 is very competitive year-in and year-out, but not many people talk about it because of its location in the South. That’s unfortunate, because there are some good teams down there. In fact, Jeffersonville, Bedford North Lawrence, and North Harrison will all be previewed soon in our Top-50 teams, regardless of class. New Albany is another program who has been solid throughout the years. To have success this season, however, they will need to overcome the loss of 6-0 double-double machine Kelsy Taylor, versatile 5-11 wing Julyen Condra, and tough-nosed forward Savanna Pinkston. 2019 guards Alayasia Douglas and Ally Willis will step to the forefront now, and 2021 forward Layne Burke will have big shoes to fill up front. One name to pay attention to is talented 2022 guard Maleea Roland, an athletic guard with good genes on her side. Seymour must replace graduated wing Maddie Roark (15.4 ppg, 3.2 apg, 40 made 3s), but they return pretty much everyone else, and they should be primed for a really nice season. 6-0 2019 forward Makenna Fee (13.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.9 bpg) is back for her fourth Varsity season. She is such a nice inside-out forward, and a tough matchup for opponents. 2019 guard Ashton Chase (10.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 37 made 3s) returns in the backcourt with great experience. 2021 wing Grace Meyer (5.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg) got a lot of playing time as a Freshman, plus 2020 guard Aidan Hiester (4.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg) and 2019 wing Megan Ritz (2.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.0 apg) return to round out the lineup.
Jennings County should get to ten wins this season, if not more, as they return everyone except graduates Macy Roth (6.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg) and Alexus Brown (4.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg). 2019 forward Callie Wilder (10.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.0 apg) is a versatile inside-out kid who can score or create for others. 2021 guard Addyson Kent (8.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.0 apg) is a legacy at JCHS, and she put together a solid Freshman season last year. 2020 wing Baylee Byford (5.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg), 2019 guard Kylee Matern (5.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg), and 2019 guard Madi Skinner (4.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg) were all a part of the core last year. 2019 guard Alana Daeger (2.0 ppg) and 2021 forward Grace Ramey saw action in more than half of their games. Floyd Central is another program looking to exceed the 10-win plateau this season. The return of 6-2 2019 post Grace Hale following a year lost to injury should definitely help that. 2020 point guard Kalissa Fosskuhl, 2019 guard Sophie Gianfagna, 2020 forward Lindsey Dorsch, and 2020 forward Peyton Talley all return, but this year they have a great deal more experience. Really the only major loss for the Highlanders was the graduated Mackenzie Hashem.
Sectional #16
Castle (23-1) SAG 8/9; SOS 46
Evansville North (18-6) SAG 24/26; SOS 45
Evansville Central (16-5) SAG 51/81; SOS 139
Jasper (11-10) SAG 70/127; SOS 99
Evansville Harrison (5-17) SAG 88/224; SOS 97
Evansville F.J. Reitz (1-21) SAG 97/317; SOS 88
And that leaves us with Sectional #16 as the final Sectional to preview for this season. Will anyone challenge Castle this year? They have already been featured in our Top-50 teams, regardless of class. Evansville North was very strong a year ago, but they now deal with the graduation of two dynamic guards in Indiana All-Star Anna Newman (18.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 3.1 spg) and her backcourt cohort, Fredrionna Adams (12.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.5 apg, 2.6 spg). Forward Alexia Joyner (6.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg) also graduated. The Huskies now hand the ball to 2020 wing Kenna Hisle (9.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg) to lead them. She’s a versatile wing who can score or run offense at times. 2020 forward Gabby Joyner (3.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.6 spg), 2019 forward Arieona Garrett (2.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg), 2019 guard Maggie Seibal (2.0 ppg), and 2019 post Maddie Sanner (2.0 rpg) were all part of the rotation last season.
Claire Knies of JasperEvansville Central looked like they would be good again this season, and they still might, but early in the Fall leading scorer Hya Haywood (18.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 3.1 spg), a 2019 guard, transferred to a prep school in Florida. They were already dealing with the graduation losses of Claire Geiser (12.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Caitlyn Martens (7.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg), Gracie Stieler (6.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.4 apg, 3.5 spg), and Grace Coffman. Suddenly, 2019 forward Hadley Wilson (4.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg), 2021 forward Amaya Thomas (3.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg), and 2019 wing Kaleigh Lamberson (3.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.2 apg) are the leaders for the Lady Bears. Jasper should be much-improved this season, as they return mostly the same cast. Really the only graduation loss was Summer Herzog, and she was a role player off the bench. 2020 wing Claire Knies is a talented and skilled forward who can play like a point forward, but who’s strong enough to post inside as well. 2020 point guard Brooke Nottingham is tough-nosed and feisty, plus she’s skilled and heady. 2019 guard Kortney Ruhe is a nice wing scorer, while 2020 front-liner Riley Merder brings experience and rebounding on the interior. The Lady Wildcats also have several other solid, interchangeable pieces to provide depth and versatility.
For a few years now, what success Evansville Harrison had was due in large part to forward Kyla Reid (20.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.0 spg, 1.8 bpg). She has now graduated, along with Sydni Cosby (9.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.1 apg), Marchelle Howard, and Breanna Julian. Harrison will now turn to 2019 forward Jaya Hedgepeth (8.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and 2019 guard Madison Beck (6.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.8 apg) to lead them this season. Evansville Reitz on the other hand, has won a total of 69 games in the last 15 seasons, and just two games in the last three years. They are due for a break, and the return of their top four scorers could help that, most notably 2020 wing Jada Compton (6.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and 2021 forward Catie Shane (6.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg). They could both become double-figure scorers and help Reitz to a bit of a resurgence this season.
Header photo of Bedford North Lawrence vs. New Albany in the 2018 Sectional Semifinal; photo courtesy of newsandtribune.com. Photo of Rachel Loobie courtesy of the Indiana Flight Twitter account. Photo of Addy Blackwell courtesy of her own Twitter account. Photo of Makenna Fee courtesy of the Indiana Flight Twitter account. Photo of Claire Knies courtesy of duboiscountyherald.com.